Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Homicide" ...

  • Murder Mysteries

    Using state and local Freedom of Information laws, the author was able to assemble the largest database of homicides in the U.S. It also found records of 15,322 killings never reported to the FBI and calculated the homicide clearance rate for every police department.

    Tags: police; homicide; Freedom of Information Act; FOIA; killing

    By Thomas Hargrove

    Scripps Howard News Service

    2010

  • A Horrible Answer

    Fire years into massive reforms, Washington, D.C.'s pledge to create a more compassionate juvenile justice system remains unfulfilled, and youth in the custody of the city are killing and dying at epidemic proportions. This series looked comprehensively at the statistics and the stories behind a year's worth of deadly violence among juveniles in the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), in most cases because they had a juvenile criminal record. Reporters found that during the year they studied, one in five homicides in the city involved a youth in the custody of the city as either a victim or a suspect.

    Tags: Juvenile; Washington, D.C.; Crime; Violence; Youth; State; Homicide; Ward of City; Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services; DYRS

    By Jeffrey Anderson; Matthew Cella

    Washington Times

    2010

  • "Losing 'Letta"

    A sloppy police investigation led to a mother waiting 27 painful years for her daughter's remains to be identified. The girl was 12 when she disappeared from her Little Rock home. A girl's remains were located in 1991, but DNA testing did not reveal a match. In 2009, a retest was done after "prodding" from reporters. This time, the test revealed a match and the child's case was ruled a homicide.

    Tags: Little Rock; DNA test; Arkansas Crime Lab; FBI

    By C.S. Murphy; Amy Upshaw

    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Ark.)

    2009

  • Fugitive in the Philippines

    The story investigates an “unsolved disappearance and murder of a little boy and two mothers”. It is believed the serial killer is hiding in Southeast Asia, which is where the investigation led and even brought them to the suspect. He was the last known person to see the victims alive and detectives believe the” interview has helped them gather additional information”.

    Tags: murderer; cold case; homicide; mystery; evidence; hiding; criminal; suspicion; vanish; depart

    By Chris Halsne; David Weed; Bill Benson

    KIRO-TV (Seattle)

    2009

  • Homicide in LA

    This series is a story about a serial killer on the loose in South Los Angeles. The story broke after a lead from the one and only surviving victim, who agreed to meet only with LA Weekly. LA Weekly kept the story alive by helping detectives by writing stories and keeping the existence of the serial killer alive. Though, after the story had gone away, 20 years later it has reappeared as the serial killer struck again.

    Tags: murders; LAPD; police; mystery; Grim Sleeper; Southern California; court; law enforcement; detectives

    By Christine Pelisek

    LA Weekly

    2009

  • The Preacher's Mob

    Michael Lock went from a child preacher to a crime boss, who ended up leading a criminal organization. The organization murdered a number of dealers and buried their bodies under concrete. But when police had the chance to capture Lock, they failed to and let him go. This series revealed he was paying a number of police officers to help with his crimes.

    Tags: Michael Lock; crimes; Body Snatchers; law enforcement; killer; drugs; fraud; criminal; homicide

    By John Diedrich

    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    2009

  • "Lake County Homicides"

    Reporter Marisa Kwiatkowski takes an in-depth look at homicides in the Lake Country region and reveals that many of the cases have gone unsolved. She also examines some of the deadliest streets in Gary, Ind., and in East Chicago and takes a look at what neighborhood residents are doing to try to harness the violence.

    Tags: Gary; East Chicago; gang violence

    By Marisa Kwiatkowski

    Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, IN)

    2009

  • DUI Series

    This series is a comprehensive look at drunken driving in Colorado. It includes specific cases, recommendation of dealing with the problem, and current policies.

    Tags: drunk driving; MADD; DUI; DWI; intoxication; accidents; vehicular homicide; Colorado Court Administrator's Office; Division of Behavioral Health;

    By David Olinger; Kevin Vaughan; Burt Hubbard; Barb Hudson

    Denver Post

    2009

  • Small Town Justice

    Jean Claude Meus was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Florida Highway Patrol put together evidence showing Meus fell asleep at the wheel, lost control of his semi truck and overturned on minivan, killing a mother and daughter. The investigative team interviewed the first witness on the scene of the accident, who said Meus was alert and helpful immediately after the crash. Using evidence obtained from measurements, photos, etc., the asked an outside expert to map the scene and reconstruct the crash. The conclusion? Meus was awake and intentionally steered his truck off the roadway. The story fit with what Meus said, that he had swerved to avoid an oncoming car and lost control before overturning onto the van. When two jurors on the case agreed to meet with the new team and look at the new evidence, they concluded they would not have been able to convict Meus if this information had been presented at trial.

    Tags: wrongful conviction; Florida; vehicular homicide; reconstructed evidence; mapping; highway patrol

    By Doug Smith; Lisa Blegen;Craig Davisson

    WTVT-TV (Tampa, Fla.)

    2008

  • The Killing Fields

    An investigation on murders of women with records of prostitution reviewed hundreds of homicide records and unclassified deaths, showing that more than eighty percent of the murders remain unsolved.

    Tags: sex trade; strangling; hooker; trick; DNA; cold case; slaying; brothel; adult entertainment; red light district;

    By Stephen Janis; Luke Broadwater

    The Baltimore (Md.) Examiner

    2008